Letter-box file



T. K. STERRETT AND W. R.v FARRELL,

OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LETTER-,Box FILE.

Specification forming-*part of Letters Patent N0. 59,257. dated October30, 1866.

.To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS K. STERRETT and WILLIAM R. FARRELL, ofPhiladelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and .State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and Improved Letter-Box or Pigeon-Hole; and we dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification.

The present invention relates to a box or pigeon-hole, as it isordinarily called, for the reception of letters, bills, memorandums, anddocuments of various kinds; and it has for its principal object toholdthe papers, when folded and placed within the box or pigeonhole, in suchamanner as to obviate all possibility of their becoming unfolded andconsequently mixed, as will be hereinafter explained, reference beinghad to the accompanying plate of drawings, in which- Figure l is a viewof the front or open end of the pigeon-hole; Fig. 2, a similar view AtoFig. l, but- With a portion broken ont and in section; Fig. 3, avertical section, taken in the plane of the line m, Fig. 1, and in thedirection of the length of the box; Fig. 4, a longi- 1 tudinal verticalsection, taken in the plane of the line y y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

A in the drawings represents the letter-box or pigeon-hole,7 as it isordinarily termed, made of wood or any other suitable material, open atone end, B, but closed upon all other sides, the box being rectangularin shape and of suitable width to accommodate the documents, whetherletters, bills, memorandums, &c., to be folded and placed within it.Within the box A is placed a loose board or plate, C, having upon itsupper side two long wire staples, D, under which, respectively, move andslide the cross-bars E of two frames, F and G, which are hung by theirupper ends, H, to both sides of the box A, so as to cross or intersecteach other, as plainly shown in.Fig. 4 of the drawings. The frames, byone of their upper ends, extend through one side of the box, and bytheir extension portions I, at their bent ends, are interlocked orengaged with the slots J of the slotted horizontal bar K, arranged so asto slide and move upon the exterior of one side of the box, it beingguided thereon bythe vertical groove L, in which moves the lip M of thebar K, and the toothed rack N, forming a part thereof. With this toothedrack N engages a pinion-wheel, O, secured to a horizontal shaft, P,turning in fixed bearings of the outside, and projecting through thefront end, B, of the box, with a milled head, Q, upon its outer end forconvenience in turning it. Around this shaft P a spiral spring, B iswound, which at one end is fixed therein, and at its other in thebearings for the shaft toward the front end ofthe box. f

By turning the shaft P to the right, the slotted bar in which theswinging frames are hung, as above explained, is made to move upward,thus raising the board within the box, so as to allow any letters orother documents to be placed under the same when releasing the haudfromthe said shaft. The board then falls by its own Weight, aided by theforce of the spring coiled around the shaft, tightly and rmly bindingand pressing whatever letters, Ste., may be under the board within thebox, and thus preventing them from becoming either unfolded or mixed-theimportance of which in the filing of letters, 85e., is obvious to allbusiness men.

S S, grooves made in the outside of the box A for the bent ends of theextension portions of the frames F and G to move in.

Upon the pinion-shaft P is secured a collar, T, one end of which istoothed or notched, and by the action of the spiral spring B is heldengaged with a similar notched collar, U, xed to the front piece V ofthe box in suitable positio'u'therefor, the shaft P being allowedsufficient lateral play in its bearings that by simply pressing upon itshead its ratchet-collarl can be disengaged from the fixed collar U, andthus, setting the shaft free, allow it to turn through the action of thespring coiled around it, and lower the board within the box, thisratchet-collar arrangement serving to hold the board at any desiredelevation within the box.

It may be here remarked, in conclusion, that any desired number ofletter-boxes or pigeontoothed collars T, notched collar U, arranged withthe box, having grooves S and L, as described, and operatingsubstantialhT as and for the purpose specified.

THOS. K. STERRETT. WM. R. FARRELL.

Witnesses:

A. H. SHOEMAKER, AGHALKLEY ToLAY.

